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Seoul: N. Korea fires projectiles as pope visits

Jung-yoon Choi Associated Press

Updated:
08/14/2014 01:57:45 AM EDT

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Thursday that rival North Korea had fired two additional projectiles into the sea.

The latest apparent test firings follow three earlier short-range projectiles that were launched less than an hour before Pope Francis arrived in the morning for the first papal visit to South Korea in 25 years.

A Defense Ministry official said the launches were conducted from Wonsan on the North's east coast. The official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office policy.

North Korea this year has conducted an unusually large number of missile and artillery test firings. Pyongyang has expressed anger over ongoing annual military drills between the United States and South Korea.

The type of the projectiles has yet to be determined. North Korea did not declare a no-sail zone before firing the projectiles.